Ashutosh noticed slight limp in her walk, when Nidhi came back tea. He got up and took the tray from her.
“Kya hua? Tum aise limp kyon ka rahi ho?”
“Nahin to. Main bilkul theek hoon.”
“Nidhi! Hum dono doctors hain. Let’s cut it short.”
“Pichhle kuchh dinon se kabhi kabhi pet mein dard shuru ho jaata hai. Kuchh khaas nahin hai. Theek ho jayega abhi thodee der mein.”
“Kitne dinon se?”
“Kuchh pandrah-bees dinon se.”
“To tumne check up kyon nahin karwaya?”
“Hum doctors waise bhi paranoid hone ke liye badnaam hote hain.”
“Better be paranoid than sorry! Batao kahan dard ho raha hai?”
“Dr. Ashutosh. It’s not important. Really.”
“Explain it, then.”
She was a doctor. It wasn’t a big deal for her to talk about menstural problems with her colleagues. But he was not just another doctor. He was also the man she loved. The hesitations and shyness natural to such a relationship hindered her. But he was adamant, “I am waiting.”
“It’s probably just the menstural troubles,” she had to speak.
Ashutosh was more seasoned than her. Not even for a moment did he betray any signs of awkwardness at the subject, “Pandrah-bees dinon se? Ye hamesha to nahin hota tha?”
“Nahin.”
“You fool,” the expression was quite uncharacteristic of Ashutosh and it surprised Nidhi, “Can’t you see that it is not normal, then? Not the regular menstural troubles. Mujhe bharosa nahin hota ki tum aise illiterate, uninformed gaon ki auraton ke tarah khud ko treat kar sakti ho. Chalo abhi hospital.”
“Dr. Ashutosh. Please. Theek hai. Main check up karwa loongi. Lekin abhi nahin.”
“Bilkul abhi. Kam se kam aas-paas koi diagnostic centre to hoga. I want to see an x-ray.”
“Aap thodee der mere saath baithna bhi nahin chate kya? Kabhi mobile lena hai, kabhi hospital chalna hai. Hardly kuchh ghante hain hamare paas…” Nidhi was vexed.
Ashutosh sighed. He took out his ticket from the bag and dialed the customer service number, “Yes. Main apna ticket cancel karwana chahta hoon…. Yes – I know ki sirf taxes refund honge… Please jaldi kijiye… No. I don’t want to reschedule. I don’t know when will I travel next. Please cancel it.” He addressed her impatiently after canceling the ticket, “Happy? Ab chalein?”
“Ji,” Nidhi gave up looking guilty at making him do that, but secretly pleased,“Diagnostic centre hai paas mein.”
—
X-ray report did not take much time to come. Ashutosh saw it first and the look on his face worried Nidhi. “Kya hua?” she asked.
“I hate you for doing this, Nidhi,” not shouting at her took a lot of effort for him, “Tumne mujhse waada kiya tha ki tum apni health ka khayaal rakhogi. Dekho ise – I am 99% sure there is a tumour. Chalo hospital. Abhi.”
Nidhi blanched as she saw the x-ray for herself, “Ye… Ye kuchh aur bhi to ho sakta hai na…” she said more to herself than to him, “Mujhe realize nahin hua…”
Ashutosh softened when he saw her so frightened, “Koi baat nahin, Nidhi. Nothing that can not be treated. Aur sirf x-ray se confirm bhi nahin ho sakta. Chalo hospital.”
Nidhi followed him silently.
—
Doctors in the gynaecology department decided to do angiography to rule out other possibilities with similar symptoms. It was an invasive procedure and she had to be given anaesthesia for that. When the reports came to Ashutosh, her anaesthesia had still not worn off.
“Tumour hi hai, Dr. Ashutosh,” the gynacologist told him, “Immediately fatal nahin hai. But it will grow and ultimately uterus remove karna hi padega. Jitni jaldi kar diya jaye utna behtar hai. Warna pain badhta hi jayega.”
Ashutosh nodded. Dr. Mathew was also with him.
“I think we should inform her family,” Mathew said. He was her boss and felt responsible.
“Yeah. Tum aisa karo, Mathew, inke father ko seedhe call mat karo. Woh ghabra jayenge. Main tumhein inki friend ka number deta hoon. Unhein inform karna. Wahi inke father ko bhi bata dengi.”
Anji was promptly informed and she rushed to talk to Baba. She called back to inform that she, her mother Shyama and Nidhi’s Baba were taking the next flight to Delhi.
“Doctor,” a nurse came out of Nidhi’s room, “Unhein hosh aaya tha lekin woh bahut pain mein thi. To maine unhein pain-killers aur sedatives de diye hain. She is sleeping again.”
Ashutosh was disappointed. He was hoping to talk to her before her Baba came.
“Aapne unhein diagnosis bata diya hai,” she asked the nurse.
“Ji. Koi problem hai kya? Mujhe laga ki who khud doctor hain…”
“Nahin, nahin. Its okay,” Ashutosh did not admonish the nurse, but he thought she had been callous. He worried about Nidhi.
“Tum mere office mein wait kyon nahin karte, Ashutosh,” Mathew offered, “Tumhari flight?”
“Cancel karwa li hai.”
“Oh,” Mathew was surprised, but he did not ask anything, “That’s nice of you.”
“Mathew. Do you think you can extend my reservation at AIIMS guest house for a few days? I will pay for that, of course. Ya phir yahan aas-paas koi hotel hai…”
“Don’t worry, Ashutosh. Guest house mein reservation ki problem nahin hogi. ”
—
Anji managed to find a flight in two hours and they landed in Delhi before Nidhi woke up.
“Baba!” Nidhi spotted him as soon as she opened her eyes. Anji and Shyama also came to her on finding her awake.
“Nidhi. Beta tum theek to ho na?” Baba was very worried.
Nidhi didn’t reply. She clutched Baba’s hands and started crying.
“Nidhi. Kya hua? Dard ho raha hai? Main doctor ko bulata hoon.”
“Baba. Main bulati hoon. Aap rukiye,” Anji said.
“Nahin Anji. Tum Nidhi ke paas baitho,” Baba insisited. He thought that Nidhi might want to talk to the women.
Shyama and Anji both tried to comfort Nidhi, but she kept crying.
Baba met the nurse on his way to the doctor’s cabin and told her that Nidhi was awake and probably in pain. The nurse rushed to the room. Baba went on to get the doctor.
“Kya baat hai Nidhi? Kuchh bol to… Dard ho raha hai?”Anji tried to comfort her.
“Dr. Ashutosh…” Nidhi murmured.
“Dr. Ashutosh?” Anji was surprised and looked at Shayama. Neither of them knew what to say or do. Why was she looking for Dr. Ashutosh in Delhi? Was she not fully conscious? Was something wrong?
“Dr. Mathew ke kamre mein wait kar rahe hain. Main unhein bula kar laati hoon,” the nurse said surprising them even further.
“Dr. Ashutosh yahan hain?” Anji looked at Nidhi questioningly. Nidhi continued crying and didn’t say anything.
Ashutosh came running and reached there before Baba and doctor did.
“Namaste,” he greeted Shyama; then addressed Anji, “Hello Anji.”
“Hello Dr. Ashutosh. Aap yahan?”
“Ek guest lecture dene ke liye aaya tha.”
“Oh!” Anji recalled that Rangnath had told her about Dr. Ashutosh being out of station. But she did not know he was in Delhi. And in AIIMS.
“Anji. Hum bahar chal kar Bhai Sahab ko dekhte hain,” Shayama decided to leave Ashutosh and Nidhi alone.
“Nidhi bahut pain mein hai, Dr. Ashutosh. Jab se aankhein kholi hai roye ja rahi hai,” Anji told him before leaving the room.
Ashutosh nodded to acknowledge her worry and waited till they had left. Then he went and sat beside Nidhi on the bed.
He took her hand in his and she clutched it hard, the way she had done with Baba and Anji earlier. He had guessed that it wasn’t the pain that was bothering her.
“Dar lag raha hai?” he asked softly.
She nodded.
“Ghabrane ki koi baat nahin hai, Nidhi. Tumhein pata hai ki ye theek ho jayega. Aur operation bilkul safe hai.”
Nidhi didn’t share what was really bothering her. But his presence calmed her down.
Shyama stopped him when Baba came back with the doctor.
“Ruk jaiye, Bhai Sahab. Thodee der baad jaate hain.”
“Kyon? Nidhi akeli kyon hai? Use dard ho raha tha.”
“Dr. Ashutosh andar hain,” Anji didn’t beat around the bush.
“Dr. Ashutosh?” Baba was shocked, “Yahan? Kaise?”
“Woh sab baad mein bataungi, Baba. Lekin Nidhi unke liye poochh rahi thi baar baar. I think… we should wait,” Anji knew why Baba was against Nidhi’s and Dr. Ashutosh’ relationship. Like Nidhi, she also acknowledged so far that he meant well. But today the way she had seen Nidhi pine for Ashutosh, she was affected much more by her suffering than by Baba’s good intentions. So, she was unsually sharp while speaking to Baba and stopping him from interfering. Baba noticed that, but did not say anything.
Ashutosh came out soon and was at first unsettled to see Baba. He wasn’t sure how he would react. He greeted him and then explained his presence, “Main yahan ek guest lecture dene ke liye aaya tha. Ittefaaq se Nidhi se mulaaquaat ho gayi aur maine notice kiya ki she was in pain. Isliye checkup ke liye le aaya.”
“Thank you, Dr. Ashutosh. Kahne ko doctor hai, lekin apna khayaal rakhna use aata nahin.”
Ashutosh nodded and said, “Woh theek hai. Dard nahin ho raha use. Bas ghabra gayi thi. Doctor aap please check kar lijiye,“ he addressed the gynaecologist.
—
To be continued